Apparatus for devolatilizing coal, shale, etc.



July 3, 1923 C. M. GARLAND APPARATUS FOR DEVOLATILIZING COAL, SHALE, ETC

Filed Jan. 28, 19:20

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Patented .Italy 3, 1923.

narran STATES CLAUDE M. GARLAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR DEVQLATILIZING CUAL, SHALE, ETC.

Application led January 28, 1920 Serial No. 354,531.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE M. GARLAND, a citizen of the United States, residin vin Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Devolatilizing Coals, Shales, Etc., of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the pro vision of improved means for coking bituminous coal and devolatilizing such fuels as wood, lignite, shale, etc., whereby the time .required for devolatilizing is greatly reduced, theby-products resulting therefrom increased in quantity and the. labor re uiredinthe operation greatly lessened.

(Further objects and advantages of my invention will be set forth in the description vthat follows. s Y

The apparatus is intended for the coking of fuels by the low temperature process. In the low temperature process of coking it has been found that inl order to coke rapidly'and to produce a 4uniform product the fuel must be divided into thin layers.

Otherwise the heat does not reach the center of the mass. This action has been fully described in my Patent 1,391,825 granted September 27, 1921. i In the low temperature process the temperatures used in hea-ting the fuel vdo not exceed'1200 degrees F. and may be'as low as 750 degrees.

In my apparatus the coking or devolatilizing is carried out preferably in narrow vertical cast iron retorts of any convenient. length and breadth but of only a few inches in thickness, for example a practical size would be 12 feet in len h by 18 inches in breadth by 4 inches in t ickness.

These retorts are placed in a. heating chamber and arranged in parallel rows. The retorts in each row being separated by a gas space of. about one inch. This permits the heat to pa into the fuel contained 5 in thev retorts lon four sides and greatly lessens the coking time.

The -heat for coking is supplied through pipes in the bottom o the heating chamber which extend between the rows of retorts. Products of combustion or superheated steam may be used for this purpose. When superheated steam is used the sides of the retorts are perforated and the superheated steam mixes with the fuel in the retorts and with the gases distilled olf. This also `tion taken on the greatlylessens the time of coking. When 'products of ycombustion are used for hea-ting, which permits of a less expensive plant in that it eliminates high temperature superheaters, the retorts are made with solid walls so that the gases for heating'are separated -the heating of the retorts is accomplished by bringing in the hot 'gases near t e bottom vof the retorts and conducting olf the products of distillation near the tops of the retorts. The heating progresses from the bot toms upward. f'

In order to lessen the labor in the charging of the retorts, sealed covers are used vtopand bottom. Each set of covers closing a plurality of retorts.

The accompanying'drawings which forni a part of this specification illustrate more fully my invention. Referring' to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts in the various figures thereof. Figurel shows a plan in'A part section, of my apparatus. Figure 2 is an elevation in section taken on the line m m of Figure one. Figure 3 isa lon `tudinal elevation in seciie y y of Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a detail of the dog 25.

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the hooksfor supporting the sealing cover.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a heatingl chamber which is provided with an insulated covering 19' in which. are contained theretorts 2. These retorts are arranged vertically and placed side'by side in the heating chamber. The plan'view Figure 1 shows two parallel rows of 'retorts in the .one heating chamber. As many rows as are desirable may be located in any one heating chamber. The sides of theretorts 2 are made solid where products of combustion are used for heating. Where superheated steam is used the sides are per- "forated with slots or the perforations 24.

The retorts 2 are preferably made from cast iron and are separated from each other by a small gas space 17 approximately one inch in width. The retorts 2 in plan have a much greater length than they have breadth so that the heat is transmitted principally from the side walls into the fuel contamed. The

retorts in each row connect at the top intol a commonheader 5. and at the bottom into a common header 10. 'The top header 5 .is provided with a cover plate 7 which is sealed in the groove 48.' The bottomheader 10 is provided with a cover plate 13 andthe seal 22. At the-bottom of the retorts 2 and in the header 10 a swinging bottom l1 is hin ed at14. This bottom supports the fuel in t e retorts 2 and is held in the position' shown by means of dogs or latches 25. Figure 4 shows 'avdetail of the dog 25 and the bottom 11 when the lower end of the dog 425 is pushed to the right, the dog` -passes through the slot 27 as the bottom drops. The latches 12 are .provided on the ends of the headers 10, for sup orting the sealed covers 22 asshown in igure 5 in which 10a represents a stud in the header 10 to which is pivoted the-latch 12. This latch engagesthe stud 22 in the cover 22. When the latch is pushed to one side, the cover 22 drops. The fuel could be supported directly on the cover plates 13. The swinging bottom 11 however, is a more desirable arrangement. Between each row of retorts is located atl the bottom of the' heating chamber 1 a supply pipe 16, which supplies hot gas through the perforations 18 extending lengthwise of the pipe 16 forheating the retorts 2. At the top of the heating chamber and between each row of retorts the 'gas olf-take pipe 15 is provided for removing the heating medium. This pipe is also provided with perforations 18 for. admitting;v the heating medium. The

. perforations 18 are used to distribute the lows:

eating medium uniformly lthrough the length of the heating chamber.

Outlet connection 6 communicating with headers 5 are provided for the removal of4 the products of distillation'. n

The operation of the apparatus 1s as fol- The top cover plates 7 are removed, the swinging bottom' 11 raised into the position shown on the drawings for supporting the fuel and the bottom cover plate 1 3 raised into position. The coal 'is then chargedinto the retorts 2,'and the top cover plates 7 placed in position.

4 Where superheated steam is used asthe heating medium the sides of the retorts 2,

are perfor-ated with the perforations 24.

The superheated steam at a temperature un.- der 1200 degrees F. is admitted under a pressure of a few pounds through the supply pipes 16. This steam rises around the retorts 2 and passes out through the pipes 15 and the outlet connection 6 together with the products yf distillation from the fuel. 'This mixture osteam and products of distillation v passes out to a common header or pipe line which is maintained under a slight vacuum' by means of a gas xhauster. The exhauster draws the products through the ordinary gas used in heating the retorts pass out to a stackthrough the pipes 15.

After the fuel is coked, the covers are removed, the swinging fuel supports ll 'dropped and the fuel discharged.. The retorts are then'refllled and theoperation re* peated.

From t-he foregoing description it will be seen that simple and efficient means are here* in provided for the rapid devolatilization of fuel. While the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purpose `for whichthey are intended, it is to be understood that .the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but in* cludes within yits purview such changes 'as may be madewithin the scope of the appended' claims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber,.a plurality of narrow retorts extending vertically through the said heating chamber, a gas-space surrounding each retort, an upper header communicating with the upper ends of a plurality of the said retorts, a lower header communicating with the lower ends of thepsamesaid plu-- rality 'of the said retorts, and a fuel support located within the said lower, header and adapted to support the fuel in the retorts communicating therewith.

` 2. In apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber, a plurality of narrow retorts extending vertically through the said heating chamber, a 'gas space surrounding each retprt, an lupper header communicating with the upper ends of a plurality of the said retorts', a gas offtake pipe communicating with the said upper header, a lower header communicating with the lower ends of the same said plurality of retorts, a fuel support located within the said lower header and adapted to support the fuel in the retorts communicating therewith and covers for the said upper and lower headers.

3. In apparatus of the type described,.a heating chamber, a plurality of narrow retorts extending vertically through the Said heating chamber, an upper header communicating with the upper ends of a plurality of the said retorts, a gas oiftake pipe communicating with the said upper header, a. lower header communicating with the same said plurality of retorts, sealed covers for the top and bottom headers, means for the discharge of a heating medium on each side of the said retorts and near the bottom thereof, andmeans for-taking of the said heating medium on each side of the s aid ref torts and nearthe top thereof.

4. In a paratus of the type described, a heating c amber, la plurality of rows of narrow vertical retorts extending lengthwise of the said heating chamber, an upper header communicating with a plurality of the upper ends of the said retorts in a row,

said upper header, a lower header co1lmunieating with the lower ends of the same said plurality of retorts,a fuel support located within the said lower header, and sealed covers for the said top and bottom headers.

6. In apparatus of the type described, a

8. In apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber, a plurality of rows of narrow vertical retorts extending through the said chamber, an upper header communicat ingwith the upper ends of a plurality of the retorts in a row, perforation through the side walls of the said retorts, a pipe for the discharge of superheated steam extending between each of the said rowsv of retorts and between the end row and the side of the said heating chamber and near the bottom therel of, a gasoutlet connection communicating with the said upper header and a gas off-take pipe kextending `between each of the said rows bf retorts and between the end row and the side of the said heating chamber and near the top thereof. p

9. In apparatus of the type described, a

heating chamber, one or more rows of narrow retorts extending vertically through the said chamber, a gas pipe for the discharge of the heating medium extending along each side of each row of retorts andnear the. bottom thereof, and an 'olf-take pipe for the removal of the said heating medium extending along each side of each row 0f retorts and near the top thereof. 10; In apparatus ofthe type described, a

heating chamber, a pluralityof rows of narheating chamber, a plurality of rows of verrow vertical retorts extending lengthwise throughl the said heating chamber, an upper header communicating with the upper ends of a plurality of the said retorts in a row, a gas otake connection communicating with the said upper header, a lower header communicating with the lower ends of the same said plurality of retorts in a row, a pipe for the discharge ofv a heating medium on each side. of each row of the said retorts and near the bottom thereof, an off-VY through the side walls of the said retorts, a

pipe for the displays of superheated steam extending between each of the rows of said retorts, and between the end row and the side of the said heating chamber and near the bottom thereof, and agas outlet connectioncommunicating with the said upper header.

tical retorts extending through the said' heating chamber,-perforati0ns in' the side- *support within the said lower header, a

sealed cover for closing the bottom of the said lower header, a pipe for the discharge 'of superheatedv steam extending along each side'of each row of retorts and near the bottom thereof, and a pipe for the .removal of the said superheated steam and other products extending along each side of each row of retorts and near the `top thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses v M. RmMER,

R. E. HAGEN. 

